Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-07-15
Il Il a1hiNNfon 5 t0Nalva
THEII0usEOy THE MARSH
TIE MYSTERY OF THE ALOERS.
By FLORENCE WARDEN.
CHAPTER vi.

CHAPTER VI
The next morning | woke up with
that strange feeling of oppression
which is caused bv something unpicas-
ant heard the night before. | soon re-
memb,rcd what it Wa. and tried To
shake off the recollection of the talk in
the plantation and OF Sarah'S vindic
tive tones. looked at her searchinglv
a. She came in dfmur.lv TO prayers
with the cook and poor little Jane. and
could not help thinking that Tom
Parkc,. or Jim. "a the stranger had
called him but then Il man Of such 4
desperate character as they had de-
scribed him to be would have a dozen
abuses might be excused in preferring
the simple little kitch"n-maid Jane to
that forbidding-looking shrew. | had
seen Tom Parkes two or three times
and should have supposed him to be
stolid and good-humorcd, and GER
tainly not the man to rule the forml-
dble Sarah with rod of iron. That
afternoon when Hailee and | returned
from a walk we passed the servant 5
entrance. Tom Parkes was sitting out
side the door. eating bread and cheese;
while opposite to him stood Sarah and
Jane, both apparently in high good
humor. One held a jug and the other
a glass, and they seemed united in the
desire to please him. They were talk
ing about kisses, and | think they We're
going to illustrate the subject, when
Tom suddenly became aware of our
presence. and, taking his arm from
around James waist, remained stand
ing until we had gone by.
What a strange contradiction this
scene seemed to give to what had
overheard on the night before! Sarah
was scarcely the sort of a woman to
exercise great self-control when among
her equals; yet here she was, all laugh
ter and rough gayety, submitting in
the best of tempers to receive only the
smaller of Toms attention with her
rival Jane.
That evening. when the time came
for Guizot, remembered. with a pang
of conscience, that had left that nice
ly-bound book out in the damp all
night. l hurried through the planta-
ton, eager to see whether it was much
injured; but, when got within few
yards of my nest. saw Mr.. Rayner
there before me, standing with the I'M
lucky volume in his hand.
If l had been conscicnce-stricken be-
fore, when my guilt was known only
to myself, what did feel now that it
was discovered? l had not the courage
to face him, but turned, ard was
sneaking back toward the house when
he called me:
'"Miss Christier'
l went back slowly, murmuring
ayes. Mr.. hayner," and blashing with
modification.
He was turning the leaves of the book
as l came up.
Il am very sorry, Mr. Rayner,"
began, with voice which threatened
tears, II was inexcusably careless-in'
deed l will never bring one of the
library books out again
land why not, Miss Christie?" sale
he, looking up with his usual kindly
smile. Il am sure Guizot is dry
enough to stand little moisture. Blu
what makes you spoil your young eye,
by Flooding through such heavy STUFF
as this?"
Il am so ignorant" said I, humbly
"and want some day to be able t.
teach girls much older than Haidee, Sc
that have to read to improve myself
And don't read only dry things. Thi,
morningI found time to read nearl,
the whole of yesterdays paper"
''Well, there was nothing in it, wa!
there?"
Yes. several things, among then
ACCOUNT Of hof hifr
''What bIrglary?'
"a large house in Derbyshirc, be
longing to Lord Dalston, was broker
into Wednesday and many valuable
articles stolen. They say it looks lik
the work of the same hand that com
mittcd several large jewel robberie
some years ago
'Whose hand was that?'
"Ah, they don't know. The maj
was never discovered"
THAT is mere newspaper common
place. To imply that there is only on
thief in England with skill enough t
battle the police raises him into a hal
divinity whom it is quite eXcusable ne
to catch"
well hope they will catch thi
one."
"Why. what harm has he done you?'
Il believe you have more sympath
with the thieves than with the police
men, said l, laughing.
II have, infinitely more. have jus
the same admiration for the successful
diamond robber that you have fo
Robin Hood and Jack Sheppard"
''Oh. but that is diflerentr' l brok
in, hotly-for l always put dow
''Robin Hood as ''my favorite hero.
'Oh. yes, it is very different,
known said Mr.. Rayner, maliciously
''Robin Hood wore Lincoln green an
carried picturesque bow and arrow
while Sheppard's costume, in colore
prints, is enough of itself to win an
woman's heart
"Well, MIR. Rayner, their very al
pearance, which you laugh at, show
them to be superior to the modern burs
lar"
"Havc you ever seen a modern burs
larp''
mo; but l know what they loo
like. They have fustian caps and lon.
profrudinU MINOR line and fhoir ovI